Brother J: Be Bop a Nui

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * * )

Brother J - Jason Leslie Hall - has some impressive credentials. Originally from Hokianga, he was best known around Auckland as a mike-man alongside Slowdeck and DLT, then as part of the shortlived Mesh with Paddy Free and James Pinker.

He relocated to Wellington, teamed up with Fat Freddys Drop and this is his debut album of slo-beats, scratching, his supple r'n'b soul vocals, and some consciousness-raising lyrics about Aotearoa and our place in the world.

You could find reference points for Brother J in Ben Harper as much as hip-hop, but when placed alongside Trinity Roots' album there's a sense of a scene of quiet consideration emerging which contains references to Maoritanga and achieves its power through understatement.

Musically this embraces the warm sounds of the region (lap steel, Pacific-style), peppers-in traditional Maori instruments, touches reggae bass and has soul harmonies, brings in musical saw to delicious effect and, on Kui Lee, gives the outro to a lovely solo by a tui. He also reconfigures the old Elvis hit Little Sister into something distinctive which fits in seamlessly.

So when Brother J asks "what have we got of our own?" over gently chopping African guitars and with Haitian vocals by guest Maya, it's a question delivered with equal measures of mild irony and honest inquiry. The answer is, we've got Brother J and this alarmingly mature, fully rounded debut. Recommended.

Label: Sugarlicks